McDowell claims ‘no’ vote will cause loss of investment

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has claimed that a ‘no’ vote in the second Nice treaty referendum later this year will cause a loss of inward investment and an increase in social injustice.

The Progressive Democrats minister said another rejection of the treaty could also cause job losses.

“I believe that one of the side-effects of a second rejection of the Nice Treaty would undoubtedly be a drying up of inward investment and that will feed into loss of jobs and that will feed into social injustice,” he said.

Mr McDowell was speaking after launching a white paper outlining how the Government believes the Treaty of Nice will change the European Union.

Green Party TD John Gormley believes the paper is an abuse of taxpayers’ money and contravenes the Supreme Court’s ‘McKenna Judgement’, which said State funds cannot be used to promote one side of a referendum campaign.

“They are going to produce a summary document with questions and answers which will go into each household,” he said.

“This amounts to Government propaganda . . . and the Irish taxpayers are paying for this propaganda.”